The present invention relates to a device for mounting or positioning a machine element upon a shaft element which avoids the use of a key and keyways to prevent relative circumferential displacement between the shaft element and the machine element and enables anchoring or positioning of the machine element on the shaft element with the use of an adjuster in the form of a nut to effect an interlock between the machine element and the shaft element.
Keyless mounting devices have been used in recent years to permit the mounting of a machine element on a shaft with infinitely variable adjustment in both an axial and circumferential directions. Avoiding the use of a key to achieve the firm interlock between the machine element and the shaft element enables the adjustment to be infinitely variable. One such arrangement as shown in the prior U.S. patents to Soussloff Nos. 4,202,644 and 4,600,334 enables the anchoring of the machine element to be achieved through the use of a one-piece fastener in the form of a nut which encircles the shaft element and effects forcible engagement between two telescopically-engaged collars, the outer collar (the xe2x80x9couterxe2x80x9d) having a taper on its inside surface, and the inner collar (the xe2x80x9cinnerxe2x80x9d) having a taper on its outside surface. The collars and the nuts are machined so as to provide an interlock between the components which enables the components to be preassembled and slid along the shaft element to the desired position without risk of loss of individual components of the mounting device.
It is significant in providing a mounting device of this character to enable facile release of the engagement between the inner and the outer to enable the machine element to be released from its anchored position for further adjustment or removal. In the devices illustrated in the Soussloff patents, the tightening of the device to anchor the element on the shaft element is accomplished by rotation of the nut in one direction and loosening of the device to release the element from its anchored position is accomplished by reverse rotation of the nut. The enablement of this facile release requires special machining operations which add to the expense of the device.
It has been found desirable to provide a less expensive mounting device which is possessed of many of the advantages of the prior art devices shown in the Soussloff patent
The present invention provides a novel universally adjustable device providing facile tightening and loosening of the device when mounted in situ between a machine element and its shaft element.
The present invention provides a simplified adjustable device comprising inner and outer telescopically-engaged sleeves with matching tapered surfaces confronting one another so that when the telescopically-engaged elements are inserted between the outside of a shaft element and the bore of a machine element, the inner and outer sleeves may be relatively displaced axially in one direction to interlock the outer sleeve with the bore of the machine element and/or lock the inner sleeve with the outside of the shaft element, and be relatively displaced in the opposite direction to release the interlock.
The novel device of the present invention includes standard threads on the inner and outer which cooperate with a threaded adjustor to achieve tightening and loosening.